He decided to keep them at Deep Den for an extra day. He needed to clear his head and figure out what he truly wanted to do. He had told Sansa they would continue riding for Casterly Rock but, when he woke, he wasn't sure if that was where his heart wanted to lead him.

He sat in Lord Lewys' solar, thankful that the Lord of Deep Den allowed him the use of the room. Jaime stared at the parchment that had brought the dark news of his brother's arrest and his son's death. Why did I react that way? Joffrey was a terrible, abusive asshole. He raped Sansa! Gods, why do I mourn him? Jaime knew that he should be fearing for Tyrion but his brother was resourceful. He wondered if the little man would call for another trial by combat to forgo the standard trial. With his father leading it, as Jaime was certain he would be, Tyrion was as good as dead.

At first, he wondered what Cersei was thinking, then he remembered that she hated their little brother, she always had. The letter said that she had accused him immediately, even as she held their dead son in her arms. He wondered if he would be able to reason with her and their father if he were to return to King's Landing. Certainly not.

Jaime stared at the letters on the note, wishing that they would rearrange themselves into something better, happier news. He crumpled the paper up suddenly and tossed it across the room. It flew by Sansa, who was curled up in a chair near the window with a book. He had forgotten she was with him in the solar. She looked up at him, surprised. He muttered, "My apologies."

"It's okay, my lord." She said, smiling at him. She turned her attention back to her book, some old tome about Ser Wilbert Osgrey and his fight against King Lancel V Lannister. The Little Lion, as he was called, killed the King of the Rock even as he himself was dying, finding a gap in Lancel's armor with his dagger. Sansa had told him she loved stories of valiant knights, Jaime had found this one in the library for her that morning. He had figured reading of another death of a Lannister would be a happy subject for her.

"Wouldn't you rather be out walking the garden? I'm surely a bore in here." Jaime said, leaning on the desk.

"You're not a bore, Jaime. And I would only enjoy the gardens if you were with me." She said quietly. She seemed to have grown quite fond of her husband; Jaime wondered if they were true feelings or if she was just resigning herself to love him since she had no other option. He figured he would never know.

Jaime stood from behind the desk and walked to her. He held his real hand out for the book and his metal one out for her hand. She smiled at him as she handed over the book. She took his metal hand and pulled herself up from the chair. Jaime offered her his arm and set the book on the desk as they passed it on the way out the door. He led her through the castle, passing several handmaidens and servants. He was glad that they didn't run into Lord Lewys, he didn't wish to talk about the situation in King's Landing just yet with him.

As they stepped out into the fresh air, Jaime closed his eyes, breathing it in.

"Are you well, my lord?" Sansa asked, her grip on his arm tightening.

His eyes opened and he looked down at her. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"With all going on in your family, it wouldn't be unheard of for you to fall ill."

Jaime shook his head. "I'm quite fine, Sansa."

She looked away from him and gazed at the gardens as she said, "You weren't fine last night."

He began to walk with her, thinking of how to explain it to her. She had lost people, she should understand it. "Sansa, you've lost your father, two brothers, and your sister, can't you sympathize?"

Her eyes shot to his. "No. I can't. It's Joffrey! He raped me for months, Jaime! You said yourself that you would have killed him had you been in King's Landing and known about it." She pushed him down onto a stone bench in the center of the garden and sat next to him. "Why do you mourn the king who raped your wife? Who beat your wife? Who might have killed your wife had I stayed longer!"

Jaime frowned as he looked at her. He took her right hand in his left. "I'm sorry, Sansa." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, letting his lips linger against her skin. When he looked at her, she was blushing beautifully. "What is it?"

"I can't be mad at you." Her face was screwed up in disbelief. He understood why she was surprised; she should be furious with him.

"Do you feel like you're betraying your family by being with me?" He asked, running his thumb over the joint that connected her thumb and index finger. "You were forced into this. They know that. They're fighting for you. Don't upset yourself over it."

Her Tully blue eyes were full of sadness. He wished more than anything that he could take away her sorrow and make it all his own, simply to save her from it.

Jaime's tone was gentle when he spoke next. "Sansa, you were treated cruelly by my family. I will never be able to apologize enough for it. But they are my blood. You can't choose your family and, in the most roundabout conversation ever, that is why I mourn Joffrey. He was my son; I must have loved him deep down. It's confusing for me, Sansa, I admit. I wish I didn't care for the monster, but I do." Her mouth opened to protest but he said, "Yes, I would have killed him for you, but that is only because I care for you more."

Her mouth closed as she looked at him. A peculiar expression washed over her face the longer she looked upon his. Admiration? Or could it be love? Jaime waited for her to say something. She didn't though. She spoke with her lips, pressing them against his. Jaime was surprised but kissed her back. Her hand squeezed his and he felt relief flood him to his core, he was starting to feel like she wasn't going to kill him in his sleep.

Someone cleared their throat near them and Jaime and Sansa broke apart. Brienne of Tarth stood a few feet away, her arms behind her back. Jaime said, "What can I do for you, Brienne?"

"Lord Lewys wishes to speak with you." Jaime sighed and looked at his wife.

"Will you excuse me, my lady?" He asked, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Of course, Ser." She said, quietly. She seemed sad he was leaving. He didn't understand her, her feelings toward him changed by the hour.

He left Sansa in the garden, he and Brienne past Lord Lewys' young daughter as they left; Sansa would have someone to talk to at least. Jaime followed Brienne to the castle.

She was silent as they walked and he felt uncomfortable with it. They hadn't talked much since she delivered him to King's Landing over a month ago. He broke the silence, "Does something bother you, Brienne?"

She looked at him and said, "The Stark girl seems fond of you, Jaime."

"Why shouldn't she? I'm her husband."

Brienne gave him a look. "You're a Lannister."

"Far from the worst, wouldn't you say?" He had a cocky smile on his face as his eyes met Brienne's. She fought a smile, it tugged at her lips with all its might. It reminded him of their time traveling. She had seen him at his worst, covered in shit and piss. She had ridden alongside him as he was near death, just after losing his sword hand. Back then he had wished he had died, wished they had cut off his head rather than his hand. It would have been more of a mercy to slit his throat than maim him. But now, he had a beautiful wife who seemed to care for him and he would be Lord of Casterly Rock when his father died.

Brienne pulled him out of his reverie when she agreed, "Far from the worst."

"The worst is laying dead in the Great Sept of Baelor." Jaime said quietly.

"He was a Baratheon."

"Was he?"

Brienne looked at him, a frown on her face. "So it's true."

"Yes, it's true." Jaime admitted as they neared Lord Lewys' solar, the place he had left not half an hour ago. "I've done terrible things in my life, most of them you've had the pleasure of knowing, and being with Cersei is the most terrible thing I've ever done or will ever do."

"You've done honorable things too, Jaime." Brienne reminded him.

"I've far more horrors behind me than pleasantries." Jaime said.

"You are keeping Sansa Stark safe, as you promised to her mother."

"My second good deed." His first was murdering the late King Aerys.

Brienne left him at the door and Jaime entered without knocking. Lord Lewys sat behind the desk and Jaime noticed that he hadn't moved the book on Ser Wilbert Osgrey from the edge. He sat across from the Lord of Deep Den and Lord Lewys looked up at him from the parchment in his hands. Another raven's note. Lord Lewys leaned across the desk to hand it to him, saying, "More news from King's Landing."

Jaime read the words on the parchment and muttered, "She can't be serious."

Jaime,

You are hereby summoned to King's Landing. You are to sit as one of the judges in the trial of Tyrion Lannister, the Imp, alongside Lord Tywin Lannister and Prince Oberyn Martell. The trial begins in less than a fortnight; make haste, dear brother.

Cersei

He wished to tear her note up into dozens of pieces but he looked at Lord Lewys instead. "Have you a pen and parchment?"

The lord handed over a small piece of parchment, a quill pen, and a bottle of ink. Jaime leaned over the desk and held the pen awkwardly in his left hand. With an uneasy and sloppy hand, and knowing that Lewys was watching his every move, Jaime wrote,

Queen Regent Cersei Lannister,

I have no regrets as I inform you that I will not return to King's Landing. I am to continue for Casterly Rock as planned with my wife. I have no interest in joining the unjust trial our dear brother is to be subjected to. You know Tyrion didn't do it, you would drop the charges had you any brain.

Ser Jaime Lannister

"I must send this at once." Jaime said, rolling up the parchment.

"The Queen Regent will not be amused by your slight." Lord Lewys said, capping the ink bottle.

"I have no care for her, Lewys." Jaime said, standing from the desk. He grabbed the book as he walked away, for Sansa. He exited the solar to find the maester to send the letter.

He returned to his chamber after, to find Sansa sitting in the window. "Sansa, what are you doing here?"

"My lord." She said, quietly. She stood from her spot and said, "Gertie Lydden is a bore. I'd rather be alone than with her."

"Shall I leave you?" He asked, turning toward the door.

She shook her head profusely. "No. What did Lord Lewys want?"

Jaime walked to her and gave her the note he had received. She read it over and said, "We must go."

Jaime shook his head and said, "No. I told her we were continuing for Casterly Rock."

"You should not have done that, Jaime. That was a royal summon!"

"She simply called me 'Jaime' and signed it 'Cersei,' had she meant to royally summon me it would have been 'Ser Jaime Lannister' and 'Queen Regent Cersei Lannister,' as I titled and ended my letter." Jaime replied, taking his wife's hand in his. "All will be well, my lady."

"I hope so, Ser." Sansa said quietly. "I don't wish to end up like Joffrey."